The Silent Stormers
by SportzGurl
Summary: What if Daine never went to the castle, but instead joined a gang called the Silent Stormers? They teach her everything she needs to know about being a thief, until she meets a young man named Numair Salmalin...R/R please!!
1. Default Chapter

Cautiously, a man in black crept through the dark shadows searching for his next victim. Just than, something caught his eyes- a woman with a long fur coat and rubies all over her. This is the one, he thought to himself. He stealthily snuck up behind her and reached into her expensive diamond covered purse. His nimble fingers clasped the money-filled wallet as he slid his hand out with practiced ease. With a grin of satisfaction, he took off smiling evilly.  
  
The young lad turned a corner and stopped to catch his breath. "Philip," he thought to himself, "You truly are an expert at this." He was examining the contents of his prized possession when he heard loud commotion coming from just around the corner. He walked around silently and spotted a girl on the cobbled dirt ground being beaten and yelled at by a large man.  
  
"Excuse me sir, but is there a problem?"  
  
"Your darn right there is! This 'ere lass tried to steal me apples!" the man spat angrily.  
  
Philip looked down at the curled up girl. Her face was tilted up at him and her blue-grey eyes were staring up, straight at his. Her brown curls fell into her dirty tiny face. She had a stubborn chin that stuck out with pride. He liked the looks of her.  
  
"If you don't mind sir, I'd like to take her from your hands." Philip said looking the man directly in the eyes.  
  
"Go ahead. She's all yours. I have no use for her, but if I catch her stealin from me again. She's dead meat!"  
  
"Come on lass, let's go," Philip commanded. The girl cautiously stood up and followed.  
  
"What's your name girl?"  
  
"Daine."  
  
"Well Daine, my name's Philip. I'll tell you what. You obviously have nowhere to stay and me and my gang are in need of some assistance, with our...job. We'll teach you all you need to know about being a thief. We'll give you a home and food, but in return, you must steal for us. Make sense?" Philip asked, his blue eyes looked down at her intensely.  
  
"Y-Yes. Thank you. I've been looking for a place to stay for a while. Even if it is with thieves." Daine replied, watching as his sandy blonde hair fell into his beautiful eyes.  
  
The young lass followed Philip into a nearby dirty building and looked around. There were two men sitting on an old, worn out, blue sofa and a pretty blonde woman sitting on one of the men's lap flirting.  
  
"You guys," Philip said getting their attention. "I'd like to introduce you to a new recruit. Her name's Daine."  
  
The woman Daine had seen earlier stood up, "She's gonna be a beauty alright," she said observing the lass. "My name's Rochelle, and I've got loads to teach you youngin. This ere's Paul." She said gesturing to the man she was just flirting with. His hazel eyes were bright and he had brownish blonde hair. He waved to her, "Welcome to the Silent Stormers."  
  
"And this ere's Frank." Daine's eyes darted from Paul to Frank. Frank was the odd one out. The rest were beautiful people, but Frank was well, the ugly duckling. He had large ears, messy brown hair, and gaps in his teeth.  
  
"Hey Philip, I know the real reason you brought this lass. You were sick of bein the youngest one here! He's only a few years older than you lass, believe it or not." Paul said smartly.  
  
Philip blushed and shook his head. "Don't listen to these bone heads Daine. You'll be sharin a room with Rochelle. She'll be helpin you and givin you advice about your new "job". It's getting late, so you'd better take her to your room Rochelle." Philip stated.  
  
"Come on lass. Let's go."  
  
Daine followed Rochelle into a small, pleasant room. There were two small beds and a bathing area. "The bed to the right is yours." Rochelle remarked. "You better get to sleep. We've got a big day tomorrow."  
The young girl prepared for bed and after, slipped under the warm comfortable covers. For once, in a long time, Daine finally felt like she had a home.  
  
*Hoped you liked it so far! R/R please! 


	2. Ch 2

Ch.Two  
  
Sunlight streamed into the room across Daine's face, awakening her. She got up slowly and stretched her tired muscles. It had been four years since she was adopted into the Silent Stormers. They had taught her all the things she needed to know about being a thief and was doing a good job so far. The young girl looked across the small room at the bed next to hers and saw that Rochelle was still sound asleep.  
  
Daine quietly bathed and got ready for the day. Looking into the mirror, she saw a young woman staring back at her. Her brown locks were still stubbornly curled and her bright blue-grey eyes sparkled. She remembered yesterday when Philip got all tongue-tied when she talked to him. Did men find her attractive? She was eighteen years of age and Philip was twenty-one. She had always thought of him as a brother, or so she told herself. After running a brush quickly through her long mane, she headed to the main room to see what the plan was for the day.  
  
As she entered, Paul and Frank were already there bickering over who had stolen the most money over the years.  
  
"But Frank! I'm the one who stole Lady Madeline's ruby necklace!"  
  
"Oh please!" Frank guffawed. "That was-"  
  
The young woman cleared her throat and the two men jumped in surprise, looking down embarrassed.  
  
"Really you guys, you would think thieves would be able to here someone walk into a room. I mean we are trained at that." Daine teased.  
  
Paul shifted his weight from one foot to another, looking like a child after being scolded. "Uhh...change of plans Daine." He said, changing the subject, "Instead of the usual going on the streets and stealing, we're gonna go to the castle ball in Tortall. We'll steal from more well-known, wealthy nobles there." He smiled thinking.  
  
"But Paul, I don't have anything to wear to the ball." Daine replied, worried. She had never attended any events at the Capital before, but she thought back to the time when Rochelle taught her lady-like manners.  
  
"No need to worry, Princess," Frank said, using his nickname for Daine. "We went out and stol...er...bought a dress for you." He threw her the fine, blue fabric that was lying on the beat-up sofa.  
  
"Hurry and change, we're leaving soon."  
  
Daine hurried to her room and put on her beautiful, new gown. She examined herself in the mirror. The form-fitting dress was blue and shimmery, bringing out the electric blue in her eyes. She felt someone put their hand on her small shoulders.  
  
"You really are beautiful," Rochelle said sleepily, for she had just woken up. "Here let me do your hair and face paint."  
  
For the past four years, Daine thought of Rochelle as her older sister. They had grown close to each other and told each other practically everything. She watched as Rochelle busied herself trying to tame Daine's russet curls.  
  
After a few minutes, Rochelle was finished. Daine stared into the mirror and could hardly recognize the woman that gazed back. Her brown tresses were piled on top of her head and stray curls were cascading gently, framing her face. The face paint brought out the color in her cheeks and accented her high cheekbones. Daine turned and gave Rochelle a hug. "Thank you, you are too good to me. You better go get ready yourself, Rochelle."  
  
"I'm not goin," the woman replied. "I'm staying 'ere with Frank. There's some business we need to attend to."  
  
She and Rochelle headed to the main room and when they entered, Paul whistled and Frank grinned. Paul was already dressed for the ball in a fine tunic and pants, making him look rich and extravagant.  
  
"Hurry up Philip!" Paul yelled out. "We're waitin on you."  
  
Philip walked in, "Impatient are." He trailed off when he saw Daine. "You look beautiful." He blushed. "I mean, no one will know you're really a thief at the ball."  
  
Daine felt herself redden. Philip looked so handsome in his outfit. 'He's like a brother,' Daine had to remind herself. 'But if he's like a brother, why does my heart speed up whenever I see him?' She decided to leave those thoughts for a rainy day.  
  
Daine, Paul, and Philip walked out of their home and into a carriage that was headed for the awaiting ball. 'I wonder if Philip's going to ask me to dance,' Daine thought. She had to remind herself that the reason they're going to the ball is so they can steal, not to dance with Philip. 


	3. Ch 3

Ch.3  
  
Daine was a nervous wreck, not only had she not been to a ball before; she didn't know how to dance! She'd figure out something though. The lass slowly walked up the grand stairs leading to the magnificent, gold doors of the ballroom. She took a deep breath and was about to push open the doors when a servant stopped her.  
  
"What is your name miss?" he asked.  
  
Daine thought fast, "Umm Diane Saski."  
  
Philip glanced over at her and she shrugged her shoulders. The officer opened the huge doors and announced her properly. She slowly walked into the room and down the stairs with Philip by her side. Most of the men stopped talking at once to admire Daine, but she was too busy making sure she wasn't going to trip to notice the stares. When they reached the bottom of the staircase, she sighed in relief and looked up. She gasped. It was so enchanting! There were sparkling jewels, fancy dresses, glittering gold, and silver everywhere!  
  
Paul looked over at Daine and chuckled. "You best close that mouth of yours lass, you might swallow a fly."  
  
Embarrassed, Daine quickly closed her mouth. "Paul, what if someone asks me to dance?" she asked worriedly.  
  
"Well than lass, you dance with them!" he looked over at Daine and saw the panicked look on her face. "You don't know how to dance do you?"  
  
She quickly shook her head. "Well than lass, Philip here is just the guy to teach you."  
  
Philip looked over at Paul quickly and realized that he meant it. He cleared his throat and offered a hand to Daine. "May I have this dance fair lady?"  
  
Daine blushed slightly and smiled, "Of course."  
  
Philip led Daine to the dance floor and put one hand on her thin waist and placed Daine's hand on his shoulder and the other he held in his palm. "Just follow my lead," he whispered in her ear.  
  
His voice sent shivers up Daine's spine. She followed Philip and after a few mistakes, discovered how fun dancing could be.  
  
: Having fun? She heard something say.  
  
Daine looked over to where the voice was coming from and saw a mouse to her right. "Are you talking to me?" she whispered.  
  
"What?" Philip asked absent-mindedly.  
  
Surprised Daine glanced over at Philip. "Oh nothing." She responded, quickly looking back over to the mouse. It was gone. 'Weird' she thought.  
  
"Okay Daine, once this song ends I'm sure every man here will ask you to dance. Use that technique we taught you last week, while you are dancing. Do you understand?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Once the song ended, Philip stepped away and a young man hurriedly asked if she would allow him a dance. She looked him over. He had kind brown eyes and bright copper hair. He also looked very wealthy, so she graciously accepted. He pulled her close to him and they started to dance to the tempo.  
  
"So, uh, miss what's your name?" he asked shyly.  
  
"Diane."  
  
"Diane," he repeated, "My name is Richard. Are you new in Tortall? I've never seen you here before."  
  
"Uh, yes. I just arrived here this morning." They danced a few minutes with out saying anything. Daine glanced over Richard's right shoulder and saw Philip. He mouthed, "The technique." She quickly remembered what she had to do. "So Richard, you really do know how to capture a girl's heart," Daine said putting both of her hands around his shoulders pulling him close.  
  
Richard looked up surprised, "Wh-why th-thank you."  
  
Daine chuckled to herself. She slowly put her hand in his pocket and found his wallet. She hurriedly pulled it out without Richard noticing and slipped it to Paul who walked past her. She grinned to herself, 'Two years ago I would've thought this was a horrible thing to do. But of course this is the only way of surviving.'  
  
When the dance ended, Daine was yet again engaged with another dance partner. After a few dances, she had grown hot and tired, wanting to rest her feet. The lass glanced over at the garden and thought it looked peaceful and just the place to rest. She snuck out there and started walking, when she heard a voice again.  
  
: Diane, you're very pretty.  
  
Daine looked around and couldn't find the speaker anywhere. "Where are you?" Daine asked hesitantly.  
  
: Look down.  
  
She followed the order and saw a little blue jay by her feet. She had always been very fond of animals and they had always been fond of her, but she never tried speaking to them.  
  
The blue jay jumped up and started to fly away. She shook her head confused. Daine sat on a nearby bench and sighed. What a wonderful night! She thought, thinking of all the dances she had danced. She giggled thinking of the funny old man. How surprised he will be when he finds out his watch is missing! And oh the chubby little fellow that was a whole 3 inches shorter than her. She giggled again. What a wonderful night!  
  
Suddenly she didn't feel so tired anymore. She stood up and offered her arm to someone invisible. She imagined him being some handsome young man that was the spitting image of Philip. "May I have this dance kind sir?" She put her hands on the pretend person and started to waltz. "Why yes sir, I did get this dress at the palace." She giggled to herself at her childish fantasies. As she whirled around one last time, she smacked head one into something hard and fell to the ground. Someone had been watching her! She looked up alarmed and saw a very tall black robed young man with thick black hair and dark eyes staring down at her. (A/N-Sound familiar?)  
  
*So, did you guys like it?? Sorry the last few chapters have been short! I'll try writing more soon! I also need suggestions, should this be a D/N or a new combo, Daine/Philip? R/R please!!!! 


	4. Ch 4

*Hey Every1!! Thanx sooo much for the reviews!! It helps me a lot!! And to those of u who are convinced u've seen this story b4, u probably have!! It got deleted by accident and I'm just reposting it. And yes, I was pretty far into it, so at least every1 doesn't have to wait until I type the next chapter for the next couple of chapters!! Anywayz, R/R!!  
  
** I forgot to put this in the first 3 chapters: These characters do NOT belong to me. Only the people who weren't in the books belong to me (Ex- Philip, Rochelle, Paul, etc.)  
  
Ch.4  
  
The stranger smiled down at her, which made her heart feel as if it were going to melt. 'He's handsome alright, but Philip is cuter.' Daine thought stubbornly. "Excuse me, I apologize for bumping into you. I didn't see you there." She said apologetically.  
  
"No it's my fault, I got in the way of your...dancing." The man, who was obviously a mage, replied. He offered Daine a hand.  
  
Daine felt herself blush and grasped his firm hand. He helped pull her to her feet, "Thanks."  
  
"Oh where is my manners?" the young mage asked, "I'm Numair Salmalín, and your name is."  
  
"Daine Sarrasri...I mean Diane Saski." Daine couldn't believe she let her real name slip! Hopefully he didn't notice...  
  
"Which is it?" Numair questioned suspiciously.  
  
For some reason Daine felt an impulse to tell this mage the truth. "It's Daine."  
  
Numair was about to ask her another question, but shook his head deciding not to. Daine suddenly felt like someone was digging through her head. "Do you have the gift?" Numair questioned.  
  
Not expecting this question, Daine replied, "Me? No, I've never had the gift. My ma had it though. She was a healer."  
  
Numair frowned a little. "Why, is there something wrong?" Daine asked quickly.  
  
"There's nothing wrong exactly. But." he trailed off when he heard music coming from the ballroom. He gave Daine a cute lopsided grin and gallantly offered Daine a hand. "Would you like to dance?"  
  
"Out here?" Daine asked.  
  
"Sure, why not?"  
  
"Alright than." Daine responded accepting the outstretched hand. They started to waltz and kept up with the tempo of the music.  
  
"There's something special about you Daine, it's like you have some sort of wild magic. I saw you communicating with that bird and found it very interesting. I've always thought that wild magic was just a myth."  
  
Daine was startled at his theory. "Me, have wild magic. I think your mistaken sir."  
  
"No, I'm almost positive. I could help you learn to control and use it to your advantage if you'll let me. It'd be very dangerous if you didn't know how to use your wild magic. With my help you could shift shape, talk to animals, and heal them!"  
  
Daine looked concerned, "I don't have money to be trained and I-I've always been fond of animals and they've like me. I guess that explains a few things."  
  
"You don't need money! We can train you for free and as a place to stay, you can stay in the palace! It's very important we train you. You might be useful later on."  
  
Daine thought about the Silent Stormers. She couldn't imagine leaving them behind, which reminded her, she still wanted to pickpocket this man before the night was over. She pressed her body up against his and with one finger traced his cheekbone. She quickly reached into his pocket and grasped the wallet, but when she was going to pull it out, Numair grabbed her hand.  
  
"No, no Daine. This is mine. I understand now why there were two names. You're a thief!"  
  
Daine was about to take off running, but Numair quickly seizeed her wrist. "Hey, don't run lass. Now I think it's an even better idea for you to stay in the palace to be trained. It'll keep you out of trouble!"  
  
Daine blushed. "I couldn't bear to leave my friends behind."  
  
"They can come too, if you want, BUT, yes there's a but, if anyone catches them stealing, we're talking execution."  
  
Daine gasped. She didn't know if she liked this whole plan. This would mean that everything would change, but she would finally have a chance to stay somewhere that didn't involve dirt and grime. Besides, she needed to get her wild magic training. She looked up into Numair's eyes, "I think that'd be a good idea. Thank you."  
  
Numair smiled happily, "Can you come back tomorrow and bring your belongings?"  
  
"I-I think so. I must get going now. Nice meeting you." She curtsied and left. Numair watched as she walked back towards the ballroom and sighed. He'd have to control his emotions if she was to be his student, but he couldn't help thinking of her exquisite eyes and curly locks of hair. He quickly shook his head and got up to leave.  
  
*Sorry this was kinda boring! I'll do better next chapter, I promise! R/R please! Oh and if u like this story, u'll probably also like my other fanfic, The Battle of Betrayal!! So go read that!! Hurry and get reviewing!! *~*SportzGurl*~* 


	5. Ch 5

*Sigh* I wasn't gonna update today, but than I thought of all of my adoring fans and if I didn't update they'd be devastated. No j/k, seriously I was j/k!  
  
U probably already know, but the characters belong to Ms. Tamora Pierce and all the characters that aren't in the books belong to me.  
  
Ch. 5  
  
"It was amazin!" Paul exclaimed once they had returned home. "We made more money than we usually do in 2 months! All in one day!"  
  
Rochelle grinned. "That is amazin!"  
  
Philip turned to Daine, "I haven't heard from you yet since we returned from the ball." He saw her worried face. "Is there somethin wrong Princess?" He asked using her nickname the Silent Stormers gave her.  
  
Daine hesitated at first, but than gained confidence. "Well, when I went outside to get fresh air, I met this man. He said I had wild magic and that I need to get it under control. I'm movin into the palace tomorrow."  
  
"WHAT!!" Paul screamed. "And you believed that man? He's probably just trickin you so he can get money from you. Seriously Daine, I thought we trained you better than that!"  
  
"No Paul, you don't understand!" Daine said impatiently. "He isn't makin me pay any money. All he said so far makes perfect sense!"  
  
Frank looked a little upset. "So you're takin a stranger's advice and just leavin us just like that?"  
  
"I am NOT leaving you! Your, well, I thought you guys would come with me."  
  
Paul snorted, "Come with you? You've got to be kiddin me! Daine think about it, five thieves moving into the palace. We'd be dead in no time! C'mon now! Use that head of yours that the Gods gave you!"  
  
"Paul aren't you being a little harsh?" Philip asked nervously.  
  
"I AM NOT BEING TOO HARSH!" Paul screamed. "Now if she wants to move into some scummy palace to live the rest of her life, she can, but she will NO longer be one of us!"  
  
"You don't mean that!" Daine yelled stunned.  
  
"I do! And if you walk out that door tomorrow, we'll disown you!"  
  
Frank and Rochelle tiptoed out of the room. They decided to leave this between Paul, Daine, and Philip.  
  
"Paul, would you stop yelling at her!" Philip said his temper rising. "I'm going with her, and you should too!"  
  
That was the wrong thing to say. Paul's eyes narrowed into two slits. "I want you two to get out now!"  
  
"But Paul." Daine started.  
  
"NOW!"  
  
Daine and Philip knew he meant it. They hurried and gathered all their belongings. It was a quick task because they both didn't have much. When they were about to close the door, Paul yelled, "We are through! We are through forever! Don't you ever come back, you here me?"  
  
Tears started streaming down Daine's face. She knew Paul wouldn't be too happy about the news, but she never expected this. She and Philip walked away from their former home silently. Daine thought back to when Paul and her were going on their first "outing" to try to steal. How happy they had been! Daine couldn't take it anymore. She collapsed to the ground crying. Philip knelt down beside her and hesitantly stroked her hair, "Shhh, it's alright, it's okay. He gently took her in his arms comforting her. She sobbed into his shirt a few minutes.  
  
When she finally calmed down, she gazed up into Philip's kind eyes. "Thank you. You didn't have to come with me. You gave up your home and your friends for me, so thank you."  
  
Philip cupped Daine's face into his hands and whispered, "Hey, you didn't think I'd let you go by yourself did you. I don't know if you've noticed, but I've grown quite fond of you."  
  
Daine searched his eyes realizing he told the truth. "I've grown fond of you too Philip."  
  
Philip smiled happily and leaned down to kiss her. When their lips met, they felt sparks of electricity set off inside them, leaving Daine breathless. Philip pulled away and cleared his throat. "Well Princess, I guess we'd better head to the palace." He stood up and reached for her hands. When she put her hands in his, she was pulled up and spun around in a circle. He released her, picked up his bag slinging it over his shoulder, and offered one hand to Daine. 'I am so lucky to have a guy like Philip' Daine thought grasping his hand. Together, they walked hand in hand towards the palace with the moon smiling down on them.  
  
*Awww!!! Philip is so sweet! I hoped you guys liked it! Did you know, reviews encourage me to write more. (hint, hint) so please REVIEW!!! I'm hoping to get about..I dunno. a total of 40 reviews b4 I update. But if I don't get that much, then that's ok. So, hurry and review!! Thanx!! (ps-If u like this story, u'd probably like my other fanfic: Battle of Betrayal. So go read it!! 


	6. Ch 6

I am sooo sorry I haven't updated!! I have been soo busy!! I was lookin over all the stories and realized that mine was in the 300's. Sad isn't it! Hope I still have fans out there!!  
  
Ch. 6  
  
The next morning, Daine awoke and sat up confused. 'Where am I??' Then the events from last night came flooding into her mind. She was saddened that she was no longer part of the Silent Stormers, but she will always love them.  
  
She got up and stretched thinking of the long day ahead of her. She was positive she would get lost in the twisting corridors of the castle. She sighed and started to get ready for the day.  
  
When she was done getting ready, Daine reached for her brush and started brushing her long locks. She thought absentmindedly about Philip and she felt a fluttering feeling in her stomach. She smiled, thinking of the impact he had on her. A knocking on her door interrupted her thoughts.  
  
She walked over to the door and answered it. There stood Master Salmalín.  
  
"Good Morning Daine."  
  
"Hello Master Salmalín."  
  
"Please call me Numair, Master Salmalín sounds so formal. Anyways, I came to escort you to breakfast."  
  
Daine nodded slightly and followed Numair. She arrived at the dining room and had the same reaction she had at the ball. The knights, squires, and even some pages all looked her way, whispering and pointing. Daine blushed a deep red, and continued to walk. She smiled when she saw Philip was waiting for them at a table. Philip waved to her and blew her a kiss.  
  
Numair looked at Daine and Philip confused. Than it dawned on him. 'there a couple' he thought miserably. 'Why am I so sad, it's not like I liked Daine or anything.' He knew he was lying to himself. It seemed that in the short time he had met Daine, he had fallen in love with her. He sighed and tried to push his feelings away and sat next to Philip, ignoring the throbbing pain in his heart.  
  
After breakfast, Daine and Numair started training. Philip was out watching the squires practice in the courtyard.  
  
"Try again!" Numair commanded.  
  
Daine sighed. Her head was pounding and she could hardly think straight. "Numair, we've done the same task 14 times already. I just can't seem to get it right!!" She looked at the broken wing and the pain the blue jay was in. "It pains me to think that I can't help this creature, I'm just not experience enough, that's it!!"  
  
Numair looked at her. "Nonsense, you CAN do this, if you put your mind to it. We've finally conquered the last problem you had. You can do this," he repeated. He looked so determined and anxious that Daine sighed and tried again.  
  
What seemed like hours, Daine finally opened her eyes and saw a beaming Numair and a healed bird. "I did it?!?" Daine asked excitingly. Numair nodded happily amazed at how fast this young woman learned. Daine jumped up and down and gave Numair a big hug. He pulled away quickly, his face red. 'Philip' he had to remind himself.  
  
"Good Job Magelet, you're advancing quickly. I'm proud of you."  
  
"Thank you Numair," Daine responded happily. 'He's a great teacher' she thought to herself. 'So smart, and so handsome.Daine! Get a grip, he's your teacher!' She sighed. She had these kinds of thoughts in her mind and was trying to get rid of them.  
  
"Since we're finished for today, I think it's best for you to rest." Numair said, not wanting her to leave, but knew it was best.  
  
"Alright," Daine whispered, "Thanks again Numair." She turned and walked out.  
  
When she was walking back to her room, she ran into Phillip. "How'd it go?" he asked.  
  
"Numair said I'm advancing quickly, quicker than most people."  
  
"Oh I'm so proud of you," Philip said, gazing deeply into her eyes. He reached up and put a stray curl behind her ear and cradled her face in his hands. All thoughts of Numair quickly disappeared from Daine's mind. All she could concentrate on was Philip.  
  
Philip leaned down and placed his lips gently on Daine's and kissed her sweetly. When he pulled away, he pulled out a single white rose from his pocket and handed it shyly to Daine. "I hope you like it." He said, gave her a kiss on the cheek, and walked away.  
  
Daine placed her hand on her cheek where Philip had kissed her, and realized that she was in love.  
  
~~~  
  
Numair walked away quickly. He had just witnessed the scene that had just occurred. "You see Numair, you'll never have her. She's your student and that's it. Nothing more." He sighed deeply. He wasn't watching where he was going and ran into someone. "I'm so sorry..Alanna. I didn't see you, you're just so small."  
  
"I'll just ignore that." The red head said, "Numair, just the man I was looking for. Is there some sort of spell you can help me with to rid spiders from my room?"  
  
************************MEANWHILE*************************  
  
Ozorne, the emperor of Carthaki, smiled evilly. "The plan is complete," he said to his soldiers. "Prepare for an attack on Tortall."  
  
A/N- Cliff hanger?? Maybe?? Anywayz, Hope you liked it!! The more reviews I get, the faster I'll try to update. :) It won't take as long as last time, I promise! Review please!! 


	7. Ch 7

Hey Ya'll!! Wow, it's been awhile hasn't it?? I'm sorry!! This chapter is kinda short and well..mushy! lol. Maybe a little TOO mushy!! Oh well!! Anywayz, hope u like this chapter!!  
  
Ch.7  
  
Evil red eyes were staring up at her. It's mouth dripping with fresh blood. It crouched down lower ready to attack. She had nowhere to run. She was trapped. Trapped. Nowhere to go. Nowhere to hide. It leaped toward her and..  
  
"DAINE! Wake up!"  
  
Daine woke up in a start. She was a little dazed at first, but quickly realized that someone was pounding on her door. "Just a second!" she yelled.  
  
She quickly put on an old blue robe over her nightgown and opened the door. There stood Numair, red-faced and out of breath. She immediately knew something was wrong.  
  
"Daine, Tortall is under attack. We must leave and head for the front. We need you to calm the animals and care for them. "Wh.Who would attack us?"  
  
Numair's eyes narrowed, "Carthaki.."  
  
"Why wou."  
  
"Daine, I'll answer your questions later, but for now get ready to leave. We need to head out as soon as possible." With that, he quickly turned and walked away.  
  
Daine was breathing hard now. 'Under attack? I can't help right now! I'm not ready yet!' She quickly put the things she needed in a bag and went to find Numair. She walked down the long hallway. She turned the corner and ran into someone.  
  
"Oh I'm sorry." Daine looked up. She saw Philip's saddened eyes and reached for him. He took her in his arms and just held her.  
  
"Have you heard?" she asked him.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
She took a deep breath. "I'm going to the front."  
  
"I know," he said quietly.  
  
"I'm sorry"  
  
"It's not your fault."  
  
Philip was no knight or mage. He was useless in the front right now, and both Daine and Philip knew that.  
  
"I love you Daine, I always will. So try not to die." Philip whispered into her ear.  
  
"I love you too Philip."  
  
Philip smiled down at her.  
  
"Why are you smiling?" Daine asked confused.  
  
"I'm smiling because I know that we love each other. All these years I've loved you and dreamed that you would say that you loved me in return."  
  
Daine reached up and gave him a hug never wanting to let him go.  
  
After a minute or two, the two of them went down to the stables to get Daine's horse ready for the journey. They attached Daine's supplies to the horse and put on a saddle. After they were finished, Numair called out, "We're leaving now Daine. Hurry!"  
  
Daine turned to Philip and looked into his eyes. He brushed a stray piece of hair away from her face and leaned down and kissed Daine on the cheek. "Stay safe."  
  
He was about to let her go when he noticed tears on her cheek. "Don't cry Daine. Don't cry." He brushed her tears away and gave her a parting hug. She turned and got on the horse. When she was leaving, she glanced back and saw Philip staring after her. He gave her a little wave and blew her a kiss. She turned back around and hoped that this wasn't the last time she'd see Philip, the man who stole her heart.  
  
A/N- Okay, what'd y'all think?? Too mushy?? Hmmm, anyway, send me some reviews so I can see what u think of this Chapter!! 


	8. Ch 8

Hi Again! It's me! Sorry I haven't updated in well.forever! My bad! I would give you some excuses, but I don't think u'd want to hear them, so I'll just get started w/the chapter!  
  
Ch.8  
  
After riding for what seemed like forever to Daine, Numair finally declared that they would be stopping for the night. Relieved and sore, Daine slipped from the saddle to the ground. She groaned. Numair looked at her amused, "Saddle sore?"  
  
She grimaced, "Just a little."  
  
Numair smiled and shook his head. "I'm going to start supper, tend the horses will you?"  
  
"Yeah sure.whatever." Daine mumbled not in one of her happiest moods. She quickly cooled down the horses and tied them up. All she could really think about was the war and well. Philip. She wondered if she would ever see him again. She shook her head and sighed. 'Daine' she said, 'Get a hold of yourself! Of course you'll see him again! All you're going to do is help with the animals.'  
  
After she finished her task, Numair declared it was time for supper. Daine stiffly walked over and sat on the log next to her companion. She ate slowly feeling sorry for herself. The tired woman let out a long, weary sigh and slightly shook her head. Numair glanced at her sympathetically. "You miss him don't you?"  
  
"Is it that obvious?"  
  
"Well, you keep sighing and you have this.this..weird look on your face." Numair stated trying not to feel jealous.  
  
Daine sighed yet again, put her food down, and placed her knees up to her chest hugging them as if it comforted her. She placed her chin on top of her calloused hands trying to take her mind off of things. For a moment, they sat in silence. Daine could hear the fire crackling, the grasshoppers chirping, and Numair's deep heavy breathing beside her. Abruptly, a gust of cold wind breezed by Daine. She started to shiver because of the sudden change in temperature.  
  
The cold started to get unbearable. 'Strange,' Daine thought, 'It wasn't even cold a few minutes ago!' She glanced around for a blanket or cloak to keep her warm. Finding nothing, she leaned closer to the fire hoping to be enveloped by its warmth.  
  
Suddenly she felt a strong arm come around her shoulders. She was startled at first and glanced up at Numair questioning him. "I'm just trying to keep you warm," was all he said. Daine was a bit uncomfortable but soon liked the feeling of a well-muscled arm around her, making her feel safe and secure. She nestled into his arm, shifting slightly so she was a little closer to his body to get more body warmth.  
  
'It feels so good to have Numair's arm around me,' Daine thought. 'He's such a sweet, sensitive gentleman. Not to mention handsome and strong!' She sat there content. She glanced up at Numair's face to discover that he was staring at her. She looked deep into his eyes noticing a few flecks of gold and green that she hadn't noticed before. 'Pretty,' she thought. Suddenly she was aware of how close her face was to his. Her breathing got shallow as she discovered she wanted him to kiss her. At that moment, a mental picture of Philip popped into her mind. She stiffened, silently cursing herself for letting herself get into that position. She pulled away and claimed that she was going to bed and walked off to her tent.  
  
~*~  
  
Numair sighed in frustration. 'What am I doing?' He questioned himself. He pushed his hand through his dark hair in disgust. 'I can't believe I just did that! She's in love with Philip!' He thought about how he had had a 'stroke of genius' and magically made a gust of cold wind come and surround Daine, so he could have an excuse to put his arm around her! He sighed. She'll never be his! 'It's not fair,' he thought. 'The first time I saw her she stole my heart. I didn't stand a chance. She's not like any girl I know. It's just my luck. The one girl I fall in love with has to be taken already. Philip is a lucky man.' He groaned and stiffly stood up kicking the log in frustration. 'I've got to put an end to this.this puppy love! If I don't, I'll just drive her away. She's my student for heaven's sake!' He strode angrily to his tent in an attempt to fall asleep. ** Sorry, this chapter aint very good. I didn't really know what to write, so I just wrote whatever came to mind. Anyway, read and review so I know what yall think!**  
  
~*~SportzGurl~*~  
  
Hey! If u guyz like this story you'll probably like my other fanfic "The Battle of Betrayal!" 


	9. Ch 9

Hey Yall!! I think I did a good job of updating this pretty quick! Well. . . quick for me! Anywayz, this is kinda a short chapter. Hope that's ok! (and if it's not than too bad! Lol, jk!) Anywho hope u like this chapter!  
  
The next morning, Daine awoke to a cry of pain. She sat up with a start and quickly dressed. Hurriedly she scrambled out of her tent in time to see Numair cover a big gash on his arm with his tunic. The woman stood frozen. "What happened Numair?"  
  
He glanced up surprised. "Oh Daine, did I wake you up? I'm sorry."  
  
"It's ok," she replied watching as he sloppily tried to bandage his arm with one hand. She rushed to his side, "Here let me help you." The woman pulled the tunic away and ripped it up into long strips of material. "Hope you didn't need that. Let me see that wound."  
  
Daine examined it carefully. "It needs to be cleaned out. Come on, let's go down by the river." They walked down towards the rushing water and knelt next to it. Gripping Numair's arm, she gently cleaned out the fresh wound, making Numair wince in pain. After the task was completed, she carefully placed the strips of material over the wound, forming a bandage. Daine glanced up when she was finally finished and discovered Numair's eyes looking down on her intently. "Thanks," he whispered.  
  
Not wanting any unwanted feelings to boil up inside of her, she quickly stood up, wiping off all the dirt that was on her. Facing him, she replied, "No problem! So, how'd you manage to get that?" referring to the wound.  
  
Numair ducked his head and grinned sheepishly. "Ummm, you see I was trying to catch fish for breakfast . . .and. . ." he froze, listening.  
  
"Numair. . . what is it?"  
  
"Shhh. . ." Numair responded holding his hand up to Daine's mouth silencing her. "Listen"  
  
Daine listened, but couldn't hear anything. She glanced wearily at Numair; then she heard it. A twig snapping. "Numair, it's probably just an anim. . ."  
  
At that moment, Numair lunged himself at Daine pushing her to the ground and rolling. Daine looked up in surprise and confusion. Then she saw it. There was an arrow piercing the ground right where they were standing.  
  
K yall! What'd ya think? R/R it and tell me!! I'll write more soon! ~*~SportzGurl~*~ 


	10. Ch 10

Hey yall! Yep another chapter! (Kinda bad though, hope yall don't mind!) R/R!! Oh and I wanted to thank all u ppl who reviewed my previous chapters, I really appreciate it!  
  
Ch. 10  
  
Daine looked at Numair in alarm. He pulled her quickly to her feet and started pulling her back the way they came . . .up towards their tents.  
  
"Numair! What's happening?" Daine asked in alarm, already knowing the answer.  
  
"Carthaki," Numair whispered vehemently. (A/N: Can anyone tell me the actual name for the country.Carthak?)  
  
After climbing rapidly up the steep terrain, Daine turned defiantly towards the mage. "Why'd we run? We could've taken him!"  
  
Numair, a little out of breath, responded, "You think this is over? Look Princess, that "him" is probably more like a "they". And "they" are probably on their way up here to grant us a little visit. So, hurry and get your bow and prepare to fight." He smirked, "Hope you don't mind getting your hands a bit dirty."  
  
Daine, a little dazed from hearing Numair call her "Princess"-Philip's nickname for her- stood motionless.  
  
"Daine! Hurry!" Numair yelled.  
  
Just then, 3 arrows pierced through the sky soaring at them. Cursing under his breath, Numair pushed Daine towards her tent and gripped his staff tightly in his hands, a cruel smile etching across his face.  
  
Glancing back at Numair, Daine pitied the opponents. 'They don't know what they're in for.' Returning back to reality, she rushed into the tent and grabbed a bow and a satchel full of arrows, her nerves racing. She asked the Gods to give her strength and dashed out ready to join the action, hoping this wasn't going to be the first AND last battle she'd fight in.  
  
Once outside the tent with the sun glaring in her face, Daine gripped her bow tightly in her hands. She crept forward, towards Numair, who was throwing black daggers of magic down the hill. The young woman reached towards the satchel and pulled out a pointed arrow. She knew they had the advantage of being atop a hill, but she was still scared and nervous. Once at Numair's side, she glanced over the edge, and gasped. There were close to 20 men down there holding bows in their hands! Hesitantly, Daine pulled her arrow to the string of the bow, aimed and shot. She watched as it hit one of the men, penetrating the armor, reaching the heart. She saw him go down and tried not to think he was the first person she'd ever killed, but she couldn't help it. She froze and tears threatened to escape.  
  
Putting her chin out defiantly, she angrily wiped away her tears and grabbed another arrow. She aimed and was about to shoot when she saw an enemy's arrow coming straight at her. She quickly dodged it, but when she moved to get out of the way, another arrow struck her shoulder. She gasped from the pain and began to feel light headed. ~*~ Numair, smiled, he was actually having fun. These buffoons didn't know the first thing about fighting. He skillfully dodged another arrow ready to retaliate, when he saw Daine crumble to the ground with an arrow buried deep into her shoulder. The tall mage turned towards the men below. He was boiling with anger when he raised his staff high. They were going to pay. He quickly, but carefully shouted a spell at them. He watched as his black colored magic shot towards them, hitting them all. They stood stunned and then collapsed to the ground, dead.  
  
Turing worriedly towards Daine, he knelt down next to her. He watched as she was fighting against world of unconsciousness. He cradled her head in his lap and gripped the arrow, knowing this would bring pain. He breathed in and quickly pulled the arrow out, expecting a cry of pain. But all he heard was a low moan and her head lolled to the side.  
  
Confusion crossed Numair's face. Then he realized something, looking down at the arrow hoping he was wrong. . . he wasn't. The arrow was poisoned.  
  
A/N: Sorry this chapter stunk. I'll try to do better next time!! Anywho, R/R and I'll try to update ASAP!  
  
*~*SportzGurl*~* 


	11. Ch 11

**Hey! Sorry I haven't updated in awhile and left yah hangin! Bad me! Pst: Vote for Josh Gracin on American Idol! =) Anywho, hope u enjoy this chapter!**  
  
When Daine awoke, the sunlight was streaming down in her face. She didn't know where she was or how she got there. All she knew was that her head was pounding and her shoulder hurt.  
  
She started to get up, but a familiar voice told her to stay down. A gentle hand pushed her back to the ground and her vision began to blur as she was fading into unconsciousness.  
  
"It's not her time yet, she must go back," a woman's voice stated.  
  
'I know that voice' Daine thought drowsily. "It's so familiar. . . ."  
  
Warm hands touched her forehead and a low male voice mumbled something, it sounded like a spell. Her vision blurred and she began to feel a weird sensation come over her. Right before everything went black, she saw a woman's face above her, tears streaming down her cheeks. 'No,' Daine thought. 'It couldn't be.'  
  
"Ma?" she whispered weakly.  
  
The woman smiled and nodded, taking hold of her daughter's hand. Looking towards the right, Daine saw a tall, well built, curly haired man, with something on his head. She squinted . . . antlers? Her head grew heavy and the last conscious thought was, 'That's my pa."  
  
*****************  
  
Waking up, Daine found herself in Numair's arms. He was holding her and sobbing into her hair. She sat up, out of Numair's embrace, dazed and confused.  
  
"Daine?" Numair's voice cracked.  
  
The woman looked into Numair's deep brown eyes and saw disbelief.  
  
"Daine. . . .," Numair repeated. "I thought you were dead. You were dead Daine!"  
  
Daine glanced away from his face quickly. There was something she couldn't remember. Something important, she just couldn't recall what it was.  
  
Numair was appalled to say the least. He was sure her heart wasn't beating a minute ago. It was like the Gods were protecting her. "What's wrong Daine?" he asked, after noticing the distressed look on her face.  
  
"There was something I have to remember. Like, there's something I've forgotten. I just can't think of it. I was in a warm bright place, and. . . ." she stopped and thought with her face scrunched up. She yawned, drained and tired.  
  
"Here Daine, sit down. You must be exhausted."  
  
She got settled next to Numair, leaning against him so he could support her weight. Numair still couldn't believe that this woman was alive, sitting right next to him. He pulled her close to him thinking that if he let her go, she'll be gone again. After pondering a few minutes, Numair thoughtfully asked, "So you can't remember anything?"  
  
After hearing no response, he glanced down and saw that Daine had her face snuggled up against his tunic, her eyes closed. She was sleeping. Numair studied her face and softly traced the outline of her cheek with his finger. Resulting in her snuggling closer to him. He smiled tenderly, stood up, and carried Daine to her bedroll so she could sleep.  
  
**Hoped yall liked this chapter, and sorry again for not updating for awhile! Please review this chapter and tell me what u think!**  
  
*~*SportzGurl*~* 


	12. Ch 12

Hey yall! Here's the next chapter of my story. Be sure to send a review when you're done reading, I like to see what my readers think!  
Ch. 12  
  
The next morning, Daine woke up to the smell of freshly cooked bacon. Her stomach grumbled hungrily and she realized she hadn't eaten in over 24 hours. Yawning, she stretched and rolled out of her bedroll ready to start a new day. When she sat up, her head began to pound and her vision became fuzzy. Daine groaned and felt a hand push her back down.  
  
"Daine, your still weak from yesterday. I think it's best if we rest here for the day."  
  
The young woman nodded weakly, her stomach growling.  
  
Numair smiled. "Hungry Daine?" He then handed her 3 strips of bacon and a hearty amount of fish.  
  
Daine took it eagerly, but found it difficult to feed herself because of the pounding of her head. She groaned again and reached up support it with her hand. Numair grinned as he felt his heart go out to this young lady. He quickly grabbed a cup of what seemed to be tea and ordered her to drink it.  
  
He tilted her head slightly with the gentle touch of his hand and placed the steaming mug to her lips. She took a sip and shuddered. "What IS this Numair? Are you trying to poison me?!"  
  
Numair chuckled. "It may taste foul, but it works wonders on that headache of yours. Now drink all of it Magelet."  
  
She plugged her nose and drank it all in one gulp, noticing that Numair was staring at her. Not even blinking. She laughed self-consciously. "What? Do I have something between my teeth?"  
  
Numair shook his head and chuckled. "No Magelet, you're.you're perfect."  
  
Daine began to feel the affects of the tea and stifled a yawn. "Is that stuff supposed to make me feel so drowsy?" she asked, barely able to keep her eyes open.  
  
"Just rest your head Veralidaine, just rest your head." (A/N: Is that the right spelling??)  
  
He watched as her eyelashes fluttered close, brushing softly against her rosy cheeks. "Just rest your head." He whispered again.  
  
He watched her for a minute or two before reaching out to brush away a stray piece of hair that was in her face. And before he knew it, his face was close to hers, ignorant on how it got there. All Numair could think about was her breath on his face and the way her hair smelled of wild flowers. Daine shifted slightly, breaking the magical spell that she had woven around him. He sat up quickly scared that she would awaken. He breathed a sigh of relief when she seemed to still be asleep.  
  
The infatuated young man reached out again and tenderly stroked her cheek gently. He knew he was torturing himself, but he couldn't seem to pull his hand away. "My love." he whispered.  
  
He paused. 'What did I just say? My love?' He let out a silent groan. 'I have to stop thinking of her as. . . . as someone I can have. I have to think of her as a student! . . .But I love her so much! I didn't even have a chance; the girl stole my heart before I could prevent it. She made me believe in love at first sight.' He let out a frustrated sigh resulting in Daine awakening slightly. Numair yanked back his hand, away from her face, as if it had been burned. He watched her carefully. . . waiting.  
  
And then, still half asleep, she murmured one simple word aloud. The one simple word that had the power to pierce Numair's heart and rip it in half. She whispered it again.  
  
"Philip?"  
  
*********************************** Hope u like this chapter yall! Send me a review and tell me what you think! Till next time. *~*SportzGurl*~* PS-There's gonna be a surprise next chapter! It may be good or it could be bad. Just something for you to look forward to. So stay tuned ( 


	13. Ch 13

Hey everybody! Here's the next chapter, so Enjoy!  
  
Ch. 13  
  
The next few days of trudging through the mud and grime were anything but enjoyable for Daine and Numair. Each night they would retire to their bedroll and fall right to sleep as their head hit their pillow, barely speaking a word to each other.  
  
One particularly rainy day, the two decided to call quits earlier than usually. They rode their horses to the next empty clearing. Daine groaned, as they were getting ready to settle down that night. "How far are we now Numair?"  
  
Numair glanced up and sighed. "Another good 5 days or so. The rain and mud has really slowed us down."  
  
The young woman nodded as she groomed her horse, Cloud. Her cheeks burned as she noticed how Numair's hair looked cute all messy and wet. Even though her heart throbbed for Philip, she couldn't deny the growing attraction she had to Numair. 'Probably because he's been the only guy around me for 2 weeks!' she thought stubbornly. 'And once I see Philip again, I'll probably wonder what I ever saw in him in the first place!'  
  
"Ok Magelet, supper's ready." The young mage informed interrupting her train of thought.  
  
Daine looked down at the grub he handed her. "Yum . . .. Never had this before," she exclaimed sarcastically as she took a big bite of it and shuddered. She watched as her bowl began to fill with the rainwater that was now coming down hard. "Hey Numair, I'm going to finish this in my tent where it's nice and dry. I'll see you in the morning, ok?"  
  
She got up to go when Numair grabbed her wrist. "Daine, wait."  
  
She looked down at his hand in surprise. "Yes?"  
  
"I just wanted to say . . ." he paused and cleared his throat. "Umm. . .I wanted to say . . I-I-I'll see you tomorrow . . .I guess."  
  
"Ok . . ." Daine responded confused.  
  
She stood there for a moment and Numair was beginning to wonder if something was wrong when he noticed her wrist was still in his hand. "Oh! Sorry!" he exclaimed letting go of it quickly.  
  
Daine looked at him puzzled then turned and headed back to her tent wondering if that was what he was really going to say. She glanced back and blushed when she saw he was watching her go. His eyes met hers and they had a warmth in them that made her shiver involuntarily.  
  
Once in her tent, Daine sat down on her bedroll and thought about her life as she ate. She thought about her parents, the battle she was heading towards, the Silent Stormers, Philip, Numair...really life was too short to take for granted, she decided. She could very will perish in this dreadful war as well as Numair, Alanna, or any of her other friends. Maybe she was thinking to hard or was just paranoid, but she couldn't help thinking that this time next year, someone will probably be dead. She was too busy thinking to hear the storm worsen outside. Booming thunder and bright lightning filled the sky. She was startled when she heard commotion outside.  
  
"Daine! Come quick!" Numair shouted.  
  
The young woman didn't stop to think. She hurriedly opened the tent flaps and ran to find Numair pointing at something. She looked high above her to see a tree cracked from lightning and was swaying dangerously above the horses.  
  
"You have to warn them before it falls. I tried, but they wont budge," Numair yelled over the rain and thunder.  
  
'Cloud! Natalia!' Daine quickly communicated. 'Can you hear me.'  
  
'Yes miss,' the mare responded.  
  
'You have to move quickly, a tree is about to fall!'  
  
'But its warm and dry here!' Cloud neighed.  
  
As she watched the tree sway dangerously about to topple over she panicked, 'It won't be anymore if you stand there. You have to move NOW!'  
  
Surprised at the sudden change in the tone of her voice, the two horses bolted off deeper into the woods just as a tree fell right were they were standing. The result of the tree slamming into the ground made another unsteady tree fall, right on top of her and Numair's tents, smashing everything that was in it. Daine gasped in shock and ran to Numair frightened. Numair held her in his arms and shielded her from the increasing wind and rain. He had to take her somewhere safe! He searched the area and saw a ditch a few feet away.  
  
The mage picked up Daine rapidly and cradled her in his arms as he rushed to the designated spot. Another tree fell from lightning a few feet away scaring the woman even more. She whimpered and Numair tightened his grip on her. Once he reached the safe zone, the two individuals huddled close to each other providing warmth and security.  
  
'Mithros! This storm is insane!' Numair thought as he watched squirrels and other animals scamper away trying to find a safe place to hide.  
  
They sat there for what seemed like hours when finally the storm let up. He loosened his grip on Daine and when they felt it was safe enough stood up and glanced at their surroundings. Their belongings were either soaked and ruined, or pinned beneath trees that had fallen. Daine worriedly thought about the two horses.  
  
As if Numair could read her mind, he whispered, "They're fine. I bet they went and found some better place and are all warm and dry." He reached over and brushed a wet curl away from her face and then looked back at their stuff. "Well, it looks like we have a lot of work to do."  
  
Daine nodded in agreement and the two headed out to salvage as much of their stuff as they could.  
  
A few hours later, Numair and Daine rebuilt a fire and were warming up next to it. They were sitting next to each other on a wet log and talked. They talked mostly about her wild magic and the war. When the fire was burning low and the sky was pitch black, Daine let out a yawn and stood up. "I'm really tired Numair. I'm going to try to find somewhere dry to sleep."  
  
Numair rose suddenly. "Wait!"  
  
Daine glanced up and was surprised at how incredibly close his face was to hers. Their eyes connected and they stared each other for a moment not wanted to break eye contact.  
  
"Magelet," he whispered and reached up to cradle her cheek.  
  
She could feel the tingling of his breath on her face. She found it hard to breath. His thumb idly ran across her lips as to test them. He was going to kiss her! And oh did she want him to. The fire was crackling and the crickets were chirping as he leaned his face closer to hers. She closed her eyes and . . .Suddenly they heard a horse neigh as it came increasingly closer. In surprise, they jumped apart and looked through the clearing to see who the rider was. As the horse approached they saw a man with blonde hair and deep blue eyes look around. He grinned as he spotted them. His eyes settled intently on Daine and had a relieved expression on his face.  
  
Daine recognized the rider immediately.  
  
"Philip!"  
  
A/N: Oh! Surprise, surprise! Philip has arrived! Yay! Anywho, its 1:45 in the morning and I'm T-I-R-E-D!!! Im gonna post this and go to bed! So now that u've read this, REVIEW please! Thanx!  
  
Till next time,  
  
*~*SportzGurl*~* 


	14. Ch 14

YAY! I fixed those weird euro things! Arent yall proud?! Lol! Anywho, now that im back from vacation to CALI (woohoo!) I can finally upload! Thanx to all those readers who reviewed! Love you all! :)  
  
Lady Rhian: D/P pairing huh? For some reason ppl keep telling me to do that! Its weird cause at the beginning every1 wanted it to be D/N! :) Thanx for reading!  
  
Vollee Ball Chika: Hehe, my story was God huh? Wow...Jk! Gee, so sorry about my lateness. . . but hey! At least I uploaded right? :)  
  
Aserootie: Sticky is correct! How could I do this to them? Im evil...:)  
  
CrAzYhOrSeGiRl88: Lol, you don't like Philip? (it's ok, I wont tell him!) Keep reading... you might be surprised w/what happens!!  
  
Wildmage101: Philip was a tad bit too late to see what happened. Close call huh? And Im sorry ur bald! I'll buy u a wig, hehe  
  
Ally: Thanx sooo much for reading (and reviewing)! It means a lot to me!  
  
errrr...?: UGH! I know! Those were so annoying, but don't worry, I fixed them! Sorry about that though! And hopefully my writing will get better; this is my first fic!  
  
EternalSoulFlame: Hey! The world needs D/N fluff? That reminds me of the song The World Needs Love...lol. Thanx for reviewing!  
  
Thanx again for all the reviews! You guyz are great! Now onto the chapter...  
  
Oh, b4 I forget (sorry guyz, this is kinda like a commercial break but not really...) I wanna give a special THANKS to Lady Rhian Knightmage for being a great reader! She has reviewed every single one of my chapters and started reading this story way back when I first posted my first chapter (when I was young and inexperienced! :) ) and stuck w/me even when I had my periods where I didn't write for months on end. Thank you soooo much Lady Rhian and hope you'll continue to like my story!  
  
NOW onto the next chapter! :)  
  
Ch. 14  
  
"Philip!" Veralidaine cried running towards the former thief, her beloved.  
  
He dismounted quickly, nearly startling his chestnut mare, and gathered the young woman in a tight embrace. He closed his eyes and breathed in the unique smell of her hair, savoring the memories it brought. The ache in his heart was beginning to seep away as he lovingly brushed his lips over her forehead and rested his chin on her head of curls.  
  
Daine felt a tingly sensation as she leaned against Philip's muscled chest. How could she ever have forgotten how good it felt to be in his arms? Being with Philip made her feel like nothing bad could ever happen, that nothing in the world could bring her down. He made her feel uplifted and as carefree as a little girl. She loved him more than life itself. And his scent reminded her of...  
  
Then it hit her...Numair! She was just about to...she was going to... Daine quickly pulled out of Philip's embrace and cleared her throat. She glanced back warily at the mage and the expression on his face tore at her heart. She was so confused. Seeing Philip again made her heart flutter, but what about Numair? She shook her head to try to clear it, failing completely. Daine was so caught up in her thoughts that when she heard Philip's deep voice it startled her.  
  
"Are you two okay? The storm was so bad, I was scared something might have happened to you."  
  
"We're fine," Numair stated curtly. "I am capable of keeping Daine, as well as myself, safe."  
  
"Well, I..." Philip started surprised "I didn't mean it like that. I just thought maybe something."  
  
"Well you thought wrong." The mage stated completely cutting him off. He knew he was being rude, but it was all he could do to keep his emotions at bay.  
  
"Numair!" Daine exclaimed appalled.  
  
"What?! He just comes here and just suddenly assumes that I don't know how to take care of you! He hasn't been around these past two weeks and doesn't have the right to make such assumptions!" he glared at her before storming off.  
  
"I can take care of myself." She whispered underneath her breath watching Numair walk away. She turned to face Philip. "I am so sorry about that Philip. He's usually not this cranky. It's probably the lack of sleep and the loss of most of our supplies." Her voice cracked, letting the emotions get the best of her. She paused trying to find her voice. "Oh Philip! I missed you so much!" she sobbed trying in vain to wipe away the tears that were seeping from her eyes. "I love you so much. I thought I would never see you again!"  
  
Philip opened his arms and she hesitated only a moment before falling into them.  
  
"It's okay baby. I'm here now. Everything's going to be okay." He whispered in a deep, soothing voice.  
  
He lifted her chin and peered into her tearful eyes smiling slightly. "I love you Veralidaine Sarrasari." And with that he bent down and kissed away her worries.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Numair paced in front of the fire in frustration. He was such a fool. He ACTED like such a fool! He sank down on his make shift bedroll in misery. Not only had he acted like a jerk in front of Daine, but he as well thought she had feelings for him! He groaned and buried his face in his hands. Yes, he was a complete and utter fool.  
  
He stood up restlessly and started pacing back and forth again. But she HAD to have some feelings for him! She was going to kiss him! Or at least he thought she was. Maybe he misread her actions. Maybe...maybe she was...He groaned yet again and ran his hand through his strikingly dark, thick hair. He would never understand women; it was hopeless.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Sir, they have arrived." A young messenger boy stated to his master.  
  
"Excellent." The emperor of Carthak smiled, clearly pleased.  
  
"They're just how you described."  
  
"Of course. We're lucky to have convinced them to join us. They will be a fine addition to our army. You may go now." Understanding the clear dismissal, the young boy turned to walk away, when the emperor started talking again.  
  
"Oh and tell them that I have their first victim." Ozorne mused.  
  
"Yes sir." The boy scampered off to fulfill his order.  
  
The emperor leaned back and envisioned Tortall crumbling beneath his feet and the deaths and pleas of many. Without reluctance he lifted back his head and laughed evilly; the ghastly sound echoing off the grand walls.  
  
A/N: Whew! Another chapter is COMPLETED! Yay! Hope you liked it! I, myself, find Philip totally sweet... *sigh* lol. Now that you've read it, review por favor! I love you all and cya next time I update!  
  
*~*SportzGurl*~* 


	15. Ch 15

Here's chapter 15! Sorry it took so long, my Internet wasn't working for a while and then my computer had a stupid virus. So again I apologize for the wait, but at least I had a chance to write this! I'm going to skip the comments to my reviewers so yall can get to the chapter faster. Happy Reading!  
  
Ch. 15  
  
It was dark out and Daine was having trouble falling to sleep. She tossed and turned several times before finally giving up on her hopeless attempts. With a groan, the young woman silently crawled out of her bedroll and began to walk quietly towards the crystal clear lake. She sighed as the wind blew past her, making her hair fly around aimlessly, a tangled mass of curls. Shivering, she pulled her soft, warm tunic closer around her small frame. There was so much to think about, so much to question. She shut her eyes quickly trying to block out the tumbling inquiries. Attempting to clear her head, she breathed in the fresh scent of pine and wood. It helped.  
  
"Couldn't sleep?" a deep voice questioned behind her.  
  
Startled, she quickly turned around, her shiny brown hair falling softly on her shoulders. She spotted the handsome man and relaxed slightly.  
  
"Me neither." He responded, not waiting for an answer. "Look Daine," he started. "I...I'm sorry about the way I acted. I guess I'm just getting sick of walking in this mud day after day and my nerves are getting to me. I mean..."  
  
"It's okay Numair. I understand." Daine whispered, interrupting him.  
  
They both fell silent, standing next to each other staring at the sparkling water. The replica of the moon and stars were being reflected and raindrops were dripping off the leaves of the trees forming ripples on the lake.  
  
"How much farther," Daine questioned breaking the silence.  
  
Numair glanced sideways for a moment. "No more than three days."  
  
"Thank Mithros." Daine murmured softly, partially to herself.  
  
Things went silent again; both thinking about what would be awaiting them at the base. How were the conditions? Were things as bad as they suspected?  
  
Numair cleared his throat after a few minutes of more silence. "I guess I'd better return to my bedroll...it isn't proper for us to be alone at this time of night."  
  
Daine laughed curtly. "Since when did you care about being proper?"  
  
"Since your love came to join us," he said in a terse voice.  
  
Daine blushed a deep scarlet. "I guess your right. I'd hate for him to come out here and find the two of us together at this ghastly hour."  
  
Nodding politely, Numair turned and left the blue-gray eyed lass alone. Standing there and simply watching him depart. She shook her head slightly and stared back at the peaceful water. 'How could I feel this way about that man, that mage!? It doesn't make sense! He and I, we are two completely different people. He wouldn't understand me at all. He never had to steal or beg to survive.' She stifled a yawn. 'He's probably been pampered all his life, sleeping on feathers while I slept on straw. He deserves better, a more refined court lady who hasn't experienced the things I have.' And with that last thought, she walked back to her bed and fell into a dreamless sleep.  
  
***  
  
He watched as the eyes changed from that full of life and fear to one of emptiness and void. The eyes once a radiant hue of blue were now a dull lifeless color, unblinking, uncaring.  
  
His evil laughter bounced of the walls filling the room with chilling echoes.  
  
They were true to their word for they did it. They did it right before his very eyes. His black pools glinted wickedly as he knew that the Gods were favoring him.  
  
***  
  
"What next?" Remulus asked his commanding officer. "What will they do next?" He sighed and sat before his friend and senior Raoul of Goldenlake. His back muscles tensed as he leaned forward. "They will win Raoul. They will win if we do not obtain something that will match up to the Schatten Wanderers."  
  
Sir Goldenlake buried his head in his hands. "I know Remulus, I know."  
  
"Many have been lost to them sir." The young man bowed his head as a single tear trailed down his cheek. "Many whom were great warriors."  
  
Raoul glanced up at the young man before him. His auburn hair matted because of his silver, metal helmet, his tall, muscular built helped with carrying many artilleries, and his brilliant green eyes glinted with unshed tears. They say that your eyes tell a story of the soul. His were full of pain and sorrow.  
  
"I will avenge his death Raoul. I will avenge him."  
  
"I know you will Remulus. You are a Vandamere. You will not rest until your goal is met."  
  
Remulus of Vandamere nodded slowly, his eyes hardened. "I will die if that's what it costs..."  
  
*** A/N: Dun, dun, dun!!!! :) Remulus of Vandamere, wow! New character! Woohoo! (he belongs to me and not TP, just in case you were wondering.) Anywho, I would be forever grateful if you press the Review button and tell me what you thought about this chapter! If you do, you have a 78,594,738,574,602,784 chance of winning the grand prize! Lol, jk! Anywho, thanks for reading! Till next time,  
  
*~*SportzGurl*~* 


	16. Ch 16

Yay! Another update! Go me! Oh for those of you who were confused in the last chapter, good! You were supposed to be! *muhahaha* lol, and Remulus WAS a new character, so that's probably why you didn't know who he was... :) This chapter is just giving you a little background on him, so you can kinda get an idea of who he is. He's going to be one of the major characters. *just so you know and wont be confused* So if you do get confused, its ok, wait for the next chapter! Anywho, I'm gonna get to the chapter now!  
  
Ch. 16  
  
Remulus sighed, tears streaming down his cheeks as he knelt beside the freshly covered grave. "This wasn't your destiny William," he whispered hoarsely. "This wasn't the end that was meant for you." He bent his head down, letting the tears drip to the ground.  
  
Memories began to flood his mind as he thought of this dear soul that was brutally taken away from him. He remembered the deep laughter and the comforting hand that seemed to always be on his shoulder, the words of encouragement and love. The memories seemed to bring him back to another time, another place...  
  
***  
  
"Come on Remulus! Mother will have our hides if we're late again!" a dirty blonde child called from the other side of the river.  
  
"I...I can't do it Will!" a tiny boy cried watching the rushing water with wide emerald eyes.  
  
"Yes you can Rem! I'll catch you from this side. I promise. Just grab hold of the vine."  
  
The tiny boy, not more than five years of age, reached to grip the vine. "I'm scared."  
  
"It's okay Rem, I was too at first. I won't let anything happen to you, I promise!" Will shouted over the sound of rushing water.  
  
The little boy's lip quivered in fear, but he grasped the green vine tightly in his tiny hands. He crouched to get ready to swing to the other side of the river, to safety, when the ground beneath him crumbled. The loose dirt and mud eroded causing the young boy to fall forward.  
  
"Remulus!" he heard someone scream.  
  
The child let out a frightened cry right before he hit the icy waters. He gasped for air, his pudgy arms flailing trying to catch hold of something, anything. He couldn't seem to keep his head above the water. The young boy whimpered as his head again got pulled under. He felt himself being dragged downstream by the current.  
  
Suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his foot and then, he was stuck. He tried to swim back to the surface, but something was keeping him still, not letting him budge. He panicked and his head started to pound. He felt himself weaken, his vision blurring. He felt tired and stopped trying to fight the unseen force keeping him there. And then, the world turned black.  
  
The next thing he knew, he began to spit up water as coughs shook his frame. He felt someone's arms go around him. "Remulus of Vandamere! Don't scare me like that ever again!"  
  
He slowly opened his eyes and gazed up at the familiar hazel eyes, more green than brown. "I sorry Will." He choked out.  
  
The young boy of twelve held the child in his arms, tears streaming down his cheek, "I told you I wouldn't let you get hurt, it was my fault!"  
  
The child closed his eyes, as sleep began to invade his mind. "Thank you for saving me Will..." his child like voice whispered into the wind.  
  
***  
  
Remulus bowed his head. 'He was always there to help me, to encourage me, to be my friend,' he thought. 'Why couldn't I save him like he saved me countless times?' He gazed up at the bright, yellow moon. A full moon. It looked just like that, so many years ago...  
  
***  
  
They both gripped sturdy wooden bows in their hands. Looking for some game to shoot. The crunching of the brown, crisp leaves beneath their feet seemed to distract Remulus. It was getting dark and the bitter cold was beginning to seep into the many layers of clothes his mother made him wear. He smiled as he remembered how he had refused them at first, but his mother remained stern. She told him it would be cold, and he didn't believe her. But, she was right like always. He admired his mother. She seemed to be content to do house chores and care for Rebecca, his baby sister, while his father farmed the land. She was always loving and gentle, but could beat his father at a round of bow and arrow if she wanted too. He had inherited her piercing green eyes, but his father's strong build.  
  
Tonight, Will wanted to go catch some food before the cold winds come. It was like a game to them, rabbits were three points, deer were five, and bears fifty. They had yet to catch a bear, but it was still fun to play. They had been out for more than two hours and the sky was black and the stars were twinkling.  
  
"Well, Rem. I think it's about time we head home," William shouted from up ahead. "We'll try again tomorrow."  
  
Remulus nodded his agreement as he ran to catch up with his older friend.  
  
They walked side-by-side getting closer to home when Will stopped suddenly.  
  
"What's wrong Will?" Remulus questioned.  
  
"Smoke," he whispered and pointed.  
  
Remulus followed his outstretched finger. There was indeed smoke in the sky. Big billows of gray smoke swirled around under the moonlight. He knew that something wasn't right.  
  
"Do you think it's a forest fire Will?" he questioned, glancing up. There was something in his friend's eyes that he couldn't read, but he felt something inside of him turn upside down. "What is it William?" he whispered, panicked, still not receiving a reply.  
  
Impatient from the lack of answers, Remulus began to run forward, toward the smoke.  
  
"Remulus! Wait!" he heard a voice behind him shout.  
  
Ignoring it, he picked up speed. He realized that he was running in the direction of his home. He suddenly stopped as he reached the end of the forest and looked down towards the ravine. His heart dropped along with his jaw.  
  
Remulus suddenly felt strong arms shove him down to the ground, in the shadows of the trees. He didn't care. He couldn't take his eyes off his home. It was burning, right before his eyes. The fire, brilliant shades of yellow and red, they were eating his house away. The house his papa built with his bare hands. He heard a scream in the midst of the crackling, snapping him out of his trance. "Noooo!" he screamed and tried to rush forwards, but a firm grip stopped him.  
  
He turned angrily at his captor. "Let me go!" he shouted.  
  
Will's eyes were filled with anguish, but his grip remained firm.  
  
"Can't you see they need our help!?" he bellowed.  
  
"Remulus," William whispered hoarsely, "We are too late. If we go now, we will be killed."  
  
Remulus turned back, a wild expression on his face. His family was in there! But then, he spotted something else. Men, wearing Carthak colors. They carried torches in their hands and there were at least twenty of them.  
  
"We have to go stop them!" Remulus cried, knowing there was nothing they could do.  
  
He collapsed to the floor as tears racked his body. William placed his arms around him and hugged him tightly, offering comfort. Tears streaming down his own cheeks.  
  
"They're gone Will." He cried. "Mama and Papa and sweet little Becca. They're gone!"  
  
"I know Rem, but we have each other to lean on. Nothing could come between that."  
  
Remulus felt a sense of dependency towards Will. He closed his eyes tightly. He was only twelve, yet now an orphan. It was just too hard to comprehend.  
  
They sat there, together, under the full moon, watching the fire blaze and burning everything they had known; burning their belongings, burning their home, and burning their precious loved ones.  
  
But at least they had each other.  
  
***  
  
Remulus closed his eyes tightly. He could almost smell the smoke. Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder. He jumped, startled, realizing that he had gotten lost in his memories. He glanced up and into the dark eyes of Raoul of Goldenlake.  
  
"Are you alright Remulus?"  
  
"Yes," he said, trying to wipe away his tears.  
  
"I just wanted to inform you that three new allies have arrived from the capital. One a mage, another a woman who claims to have the ability to talk to animals, and another their friend. The woman, we could use her to our advantage, I think."  
  
Remulus only nodded.  
  
"If you need someone to talk to Remulus," Raoul started, "I'm here."  
  
He nodded again.  
  
Raoul left the young man alone, so he could get a hold of himself and his emotions before meeting the three warriors.  
  
Remulus of Vandamere turned back to his hero's grave. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to save you Will," he whispered and stood.  
  
"But I swear to the Gods, that by my life, I will avenge you, dear brother," and with that he turned and walked away, leaving behind the memories of the past and walking forward, with new determination and a goal that not even the Gods could shake.  
  
A/N: There yah go, some information on Remulus. And yay! Daine made it to the camp *finally*! Okay, now it's your turn! Review this chapter please! Till next time,  
  
*~*SportzGurl*~* 


	17. Ch 17

Ok, so the last chapter sucked, lol. But I had to write it so my plot would make sense!! It was either, confuse them now or confuse them later... I thought it would be easier to stick that in there now. Thanks for all yall's reviews! Keep it up!! Happy Reading!  
  
Ch. 17  
  
Daine's blue-gray eyes scanned the crowded camp that she, Numair, and Philip had barely arrived to. Everywhere she looked was tents, men, animals, and weapons. She strained her eyes a bit further and caught a glimpse of a slow, but steady flowing river. The gi rl sighed with obvious relief. 'I finally get to bathe again!' she thought happily to herself. She was tired of having mud in her brown locks and under her fingernails.  
  
She shifted her weight from one leg to the other, impatiently. The smell of freshly cooked meat wafted in her direction making her mouth water. Mithros was she hungry! She glanced behind her at Philip and knew his thoughts were similar to hers. Numair had gone ahead already to inform the captain of their arrival.  
  
Philip caught her looking at him and smiled. "You hungry?" he asked in a deep rumbling voice.  
  
"Starved."  
  
"Let's go ahead without Numair then. I'm sure our noses can show us where the mess hall is."  
  
Nodding in agreement, Daine and Philip slowly made their way to the eating area; the aroma of freshly cooked meat continued to intensify as they got grew closer. They finally stopped in front of a large metal colored tent and realized that they had reached their destination.  
  
The young man extended his tanned arm and pushed back the flap. "After you milady."  
  
Daine grinned as she walked past him and softly gasped when she entered. There must've been over a hundred men there! All of them busy stuffing their faces with beef, rice, and dried vegetables. She felt strangely out of place when she could only spot a dozen other girls beside herself; most were in charge of food duty.  
  
Philip stood beside her and gestured with his hand towards the long line of hungry soldiers. "I have a good idea this is where we have go in order to get food."  
  
"Excellent guess," a deep voice behind them responded.  
  
Surprised, the two new arrivals turned around and saw a handsome middle- aged man with a long crooked nose that, to them, looked as if it had been broken a couple of times. He had his arm around a small, but sturdy red head with piercing violet eyes.  
  
"Are you new around here?" the woman asked politely.  
  
"Um, yes ma'am." Philip replied somewhat shyly. "We just arrived a couple of minutes ago."  
  
"Ah really! The name's Alanna and this is my oh so charming husband George of Pirates Swoop."  
  
George grinned at his wife lovingly and extended his hand to them, which they both shook.  
  
Daine was still in a bit of a shook. This woman was wearing breeches and had the crest of the capital on her tunic, a privilege granted only to the best knights. Could this be the famous Lioness and her husband the ex King of Thieves?  
  
Clearly Philip hadn't noticed or he hadn't heard the legendary stories of these two. If he had, he didn't show it.  
  
"You...I...we..." the wild mage started  
  
"Me, you, we...I think I understand." Alanna responded amused.  
  
"Well my Lioness, we best get going to...to...care for our horses." George stated, a bright twinkle in his eye.  
  
"Alright laddy-me-love." She responded. "Nice to meet you two! I hope you enjoy your stay here despite the war." With a smile, the copper haired woman and her husband turned hand in hand and exited the noisy tent.  
  
Philip turned back to Daine, "It's nice to know there's still people in love around here even though there's a war going on." He sighed and pushed his hand through his wind blown hair. "Alanna and George are lucky. Someday I want to wed an amazing lass, and our love for each other will be as strong as theirs." He stopped and looked down at her, a look of longing in his eyes.  
  
Seeing the longing, Daine quickly glanced away, her cheeks burning. The young man continued to gaze down at her, smiling widely. He put his arm around her small shoulders and kissed the top of her head. "My Veralidaine," he whispered.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
The wild mage groaned in defeat when she couldn't bear to eat another bite. The main cook, a big, round, rosy cheeked lady, had heard about they're recent arrival and insisted on serving them double the amount of food the usual soldier ate. Philip too had stopped eating and was now staring down at his hardly dented food as if it were poisoned.  
  
"Philip, I seriously think I'm about to-"  
  
She was cut off by a familiar deep voice. "Sorry to interrupt you two, but Philip, we need to clarify some things about you're post here at the camp." Numair glanced hesitantly at Daine. "Alone."  
  
Daine smiled, "I can take a hint Numair." She got up and looked down at her half eaten food. "Here, have the rest of my grub." She slid her slightly rusted tin plate across the wooden oak table. "While you men talk, I'll be getting myself acquainted with the animals."  
  
She turned and walked towards the exit of the tent ignoring the whistles that were intended for her. Stepping outside, into the light breeze, she cleared her mind of thoughts and tried to sense an animal nearby.  
  
'Anyone out here?' she mind called.  
  
A furry baby squirrel poked his head out of a prickly bush, looking around sleepily. 'Who ARE you?'  
  
'I'm Daine...what's your name little guy?"  
  
'Gabboth. Do you have any food?'  
  
Daine smiled and pulled out some walnuts from her pocket and placed them in front of the little squirrel. 'Don't stuff yourself now.'  
  
Suddenly the critter's ears perked up and his eyes widened in fear. He scampered off into a tall, sturdy tree, leaving behind the desired food. Confused, Daine looked around and didn't see anything. Her breathing started to get shallow as the tension increased. 'Its probably nothing.' She told herself. 'Squirrels are just squeamish.'  
  
The blood drained from her face as someone grabbed her swiftly from behind, pulling her forcefully into the dark shadows. A rough, callused hand covered her mouth, preventing her from crying out. She couldn't scream, couldn't move...she was trapped.  
  
"Well, well, well...what 'ave I got 'ere. Not everyday we get perdy gals like you 'round this pert of the country," the man whispered sharply, his lips brushing against her ear, amplifying Daine's uneasiness.  
  
The young woman struggled to free herself from this devious hoodlum, but it seemed the more she struggled, the tighter his grip was. She whimpered in pain as he pushed her forcefully against a nearby tree, his low chuckle echoing in her ear.  
  
"We're gernna 'ave fun tonight Sweet Pea..."  
  
A/N: Okay, so what'd yall think? Wanna make my day go better? Send me a review and I'll make the next chapter extra long...lol, geez, it sounds like I'm bribing my readers! But would I do something like that?... Anywho, I finished my job, which was write this chapter, go do yours! REVIEW!!!!! :)  
  
Till Next Time!  
  
*~*SportzGurl*~*  
  
PS: Hope yall had a snazzy Thanksgiving!! 


	18. Ch 18

Hey y'all! It's summer now, so I have time to write again! My goal is to FINISH this story by the end of summer. I've already written and outlined most of the chapters yet to come so it won't take me that long to update. I'm excited to finish this!!! Anywho, happy reading!  
  
Ch. 18  
  
"You came against orders Philip. You can't just walk in and think it's okay! If we allow you to do this, word will spread and before we know it children will come to fight and not just them, but wome..." the mage stopped in mid-sentence suddenly aware of his mistake.  
  
"Women Numair? Is that what you were about to say? Women?" Philip retorted, sparing no mercy.  
  
"You know what I meant by that. Daine is, well, she's special."  
  
"But she's still a woman, unless of course you haven't noticed, but by the way you're averting your face I think you have!"  
  
Numair clenched his fists trying to retain his growing fury.  
  
"Then by all means Master Salmalín, throw me out if you must. However, I am neither child nor woman and would only benefit Tortall. But that's not what this is about is it? It's about you're feelings for Dai-"  
  
"How DARE you accuse me of something so pr-"  
  
"Stop denying it! I see the way you look at her with that nauseating, love- sick-"  
  
"I can't believe we're even having this discussion!" Numair angrily threw his hands down on the table and stood up. The suddenness of his action caused his flimsy chair to fly backwards.  
  
"Well you're the one who-" Phillip was abruptly cut off by a blo od- curdling scream that seemed to shake his bones. "What in the name of Mithros..."  
  
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-  
  
She buried her face in the soft, cushioned fur, sobbing. Tears were streaming down her dirtied cheeks as she stifled her whimpers of pain. Her eyes were squeezed shut, trying to block the sight in front of her. She did it involuntarily. She merely called for help, not realizing how she called. The rough texture of his tongue licked at her clenched hands, comforting her.  
  
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-  
  
Philip watched as Numair rushed forward, pushing through the crowd, getting farther in front of him and out of sight. The mass of people enveloped around the scene blocking Philip's view of what happened. People were talking though. They always did. He knew that fact too well. The buzz of whispers swept past him, allowing him to catch little tidbits of information.  
  
"The man, he's dead."  
  
"She won't respond to anyone. Friends with the wolf she is."  
  
"Poor lass is scared outta her wit."  
  
Daine. This had something to do with Daine. He began to push harder, he had to get to her. He needed to find out what happened.  
  
The crowd parted slightly and he took the brief opportunity. Philip gave one final push and then he saw. A body of a filthy, middle-aged man lay on the ground dead. There were fang marks on his neck and dried blo od smeared everywhere. The stench was nauseating. His eyes traveled eastward. The wolf was gone, probably scared away. And then, there she was, his Daine, crying into the shoulder of another man. He felt jealousy and anger rise to his chest because he knew, at that moment; all he could do was watch.  
  
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-  
  
It felt so good to have her in his arms again. He clutched her shaking form closer to his chest and continued to stroke her curly locks. Bruises on her arms were beginning to form and her split lip was only beginning to stop bleeding. Numair had known immediately what had happened. One look at her torn clothes, messed up hair, and the strong scent of alcohol coming from the man beside them painted a thousand pictures for Numair. It made him furious.  
  
"Nu...Numair," the young lass hiccupped.  
  
"What is it Daine?" he answered gently.  
  
"Is h-he gone?"  
  
"He won't be hurting you anymore. You don't have to worry."  
  
"Is he...dead?" she whispered with an urgency in her voice that wrenched at Numair's heart.  
  
"Yes."  
  
He heard her take in a shaky breath as more tears began to fall. "He wasn't supposed to kill him. He was only supposed to-"  
  
"Who Daine?" he interrupted.  
  
"Brokefang. Brokefang, the...the wolf."  
  
"Did you mind call him?"  
  
"I did it by accident. But if he hadn't of come, the man woulda...he woulda..." she couldn't go on.  
  
"I know Daine, I know." he said, placing his chin on her head, resting it there.  
  
The sun began to set causing brilliant rays of light and color to illuminate. The wind started to pick up and a pack of wolves howling was heard in the distance. The man tightened his strong embrace around the women comforting her, whispering soothing words to calm her down. Any person witnessing the scene in front of them would have assumed they were a couple. All that is, except one.  
  
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-  
  
A/N: There ya go! The ending to the cliffie! FINALLY! : P Only 5 more reviews till I make 200! I'm excited! So Please Review!  
  
Till next time,  
  
XoXo SportzGurl XoXo 


	19. Ch 19

Hey you guys. I got this thought in my mind that I was just gonna stop writing Fanfiction all together because what is there to gain from it? It wasn't fun anymore and I should start a new original book and get it published right? So that's why I haven't updated. But then I started thinking, what a pity for this story to go to waste after 18 chapters. I might as well finish it right? Along with my other two stories. Then I can start an original, and do another short story whenever I have writer's block or want to do it for fun. Also, now that I've taken a few months off, I think that I'm refueled and can start fresh. It actually IS going to be fun now. And I can just write to get my mind of things and stuff. Yeah, I'm gonna stop blabbing now, lol. So just to let yall know, I will finish this story and do not fear, for SportzGurl is back! :P (Wow that sounded gay, lol.) On to the story (that I intend to finish!)!

The Long Awaited

Ch. 19

Bright rays of sunlight streamed through the opening of the tent as the young man walked inside, his gaze tenderly falling on the sleeping woman within. His eyes softened as the brilliant sunbeams struck her disarrayed curly locks emphasizing its natural auburn highlights. As he headed towards her, he felt his heart speed up and his palms grow shaky. Her affects on him were astounding. She made him feel nervous, giddy, light-headed, and blissfully happy; not just now, but EVERY time he saw her. How he loved her...

"Daine, honey, you need to wake up." He whispered, sitting on the side of her bedroll, gently pushing back her feather soft hair with his nimble fingers.

The young woman stirred, then groaned in protest, not wanting her incredible dream to come to an end. She clutched her flimsy pillow in her bruised arms and buried her face into its softness, trying to block the voice.

"Love, suffocating yourself won't help any."

She could hear the smile on his face and let out a sigh of contentment. "What are you doing here so early Numair? Come to make sure no bad men came in the night?"

Silence, fingers frozen in the tangles of her hair.

"That was a joke of course." She mumbled, face still hidden in the pillow. "Numair, I was thinking about last night. I just wanted to thank you for being there for me. It might not have meant a lot to you, but to me...it helped a lot." She paused before going on. "I don't really think of you as a teacher anymore. How could I with what's been going on and all..."

Another pause. "Numair?" she questioned lifting her bed-tousled head up, setting her gaze on the man beside her. Gray eyes met blue...deep blue piercing eyes, but Numair's were bla..her mouth dropped open. "Phi..Philip?" she stammered.

His eyes hardened as he turned his head away, averting his gaze. Not in time however, to hide the hurt in his eyes. "Daine, we need to talk," his voice harsh even to his own ears.

"Philip, I-"

"Does he call you 'Love' as well?' he hissed.

"Wha...? No of course not Philip, I-"

"Daine, I am not blind. I am not ignorant either! I don't know what kind of fool you take me as, but I see what's happening here! For Mithros sake Daine, BE HONEST WITH ME!"

"Philip, please don't be ang-"

"Oh don't even...How can I NOT be angry?"

"I don't know what's going on between Numair and I, I don't deny I feel some sort of attraction for him. But Philip, I think you're overreacting a tad!"

"Overreacting?" Philip laughed bitterly. "Do you think seeing you in another man's arms made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside? Do you think I said to myself, "It's a good thing that man is there holding the I love and can't live without so I don't have to bother doing it myself?" And then to come in here this morning and be mistaken for that very man!? Do you think that makes me feel GOOD?"

"Of course not, but Philip, you don't know what kind of state of mind I was in yesterday, you're being unfair to me!" Daine retorted, feeling her pressure rise.

"I wouldn't know Daine. I wouldn't know because you won't tell me! And Numair, he" Philip groaned in frustration and hurt. "I love you Daine! I LOVE YOU! Does that mean ANYTHING to you? I would do anything for you; I would DIE for you just to know you're happy. So please, just spare an old man's heart and tell me what you're feeling. The truth."

Daine witnessed Philip's tirade, tears filling her eyes. "You want the truth Philip, the truth? YOU are the man I love. You're the man of my dreams...You fill the hole in my heart and hold the key to my happiness," she choked. "Mithros Philip, it makes me quake in my boots to think I can love a man this much. **You** Philip. I can't grow old without you. I couldn't even fathom it. Numair, he's just a friend. And that is all he will EVER be. Even a million Numairs will never measure up to you," she was sobbing now, barely able to choke out her last few words. "My love for you, Philip, is what keeps me alive." And with that she buried her face in her hands, tears freely streaming down her smooth cheeks.

Philip stared at her as she vainly tried to wipe away her tears, fighting back the lump in his throat.

"Pl...Please say something," she hiccupped.

"Well, thank Mithros there isn't a million Numairs on this world," and with that he took the crying young woman in his arms and held her to him as though the world would end if he let go.

"I've been a fool lately Philip, but you do know I love you don't you?" Daine spoke after a few moments.

"Love, after this war is over I intend to make you my wife. And there isn't a dang thing that all-powerful mage can do about it!"

Daine sobbed happily into Philip's chest, nodding her head in agreement.

"I love you Daine and don't you forget that."

They held each other for a few more minutes when Philip drew back, still holding Daine's small hands in his own. "You need to get ready, we're going to go scouting today."

"Scouting?" she questioned.

"Yeah, find animals you can communicate to. Maybe they can even tell us information about the enemy's whereabouts and what not. Sir Alanna's idea."

"That woman is a legend," Daine laughed. She leaned up and kissed Philip on the cheek. "I'll see you in a little bit."

Philip turned and exited the tent happier than he had been in days. The sunlight hit him directly in the eyes and he had to squint to see where he was going. He took a few steps forward before abruptly coming to a halt.

"Hello Numair."

"Philip."

"How long have you been standing here?" he said, motioning to the area near Daine's tent.

Numair's face was tight with emotion, trying to fight back anything that would give his feelings away. "Long enough," he whispered, silently holding out his hand.

Philip firmly took it, confirming the silent truce that was made between them.

A/N: So again, sorry for my period of insanity. I AM gonna finish this story!! Review por favor and until next time,

SportzGurl 


	20. Ch 20

Hey you guys! Thanks so much for all your reviews! They were dearly welcomed! :) Anyways, hope you've been looking forward to chapter 20 cause here it is! Happy Reading!

Ch. 20

"...And then I was flying down to catch some food and I heard the strange legged creature say he was so hungry he could eat a whole "couwa" and..."

"What is he saying?" Numair asked in a hushed tone, watching as the small, red bird continued to chirp away.

"Nothing worthwhile, all he's seen are our people," the wild mage whispered back still maintaining an interested look on her face, though she was far from it.

"Well," she communicated to the bird after a moment longer, "thank you for your help. It was most useful."

"Chirp chirp!" And with that the red-breasted bird took flight and soared away into the skies early rays.

"I don't think the animals will be of any help now. The enemy must still be distant," Philip spoke a slight edge of boredom in his voice.

Daine nodded slightly at Philip's direction, but continued to walk slowly east towards a clear, streaming river. "Well, we can at least take a break. Mithros knows I'm exhausted!"

As the two former Silent Stormers moved towards the water, the tall, black haired mage stayed behind. He looked first towards the glistening sun, then back at Daine. "I have business to attend. Report to me when you have completed your task." His face was emotionless, but his dark eyes were hard.

Daine whipped around quickly, studying the mage's tense face. "Alright Numair," she spoke slowly. "Thank you for your help."

She watched him walk away, his tan tunic pressing into his back muscles and his feet composing a rhythmic resonance. She shook her head in wonder. "I've never seen him act this way before. I wonder what's wrong."

Philip merely shrugged his shoulder and continued to head towards the river, kneeling beside it. His hands were cupped in a half circle as he dipped it into the glossy river filling it with water. He brought it to pursed lips and sipped. He sighed in contentment. "Who knew water could taste so good!"

Daine let out a laugh and knelt beside her love placing her hands in the water in the same suit. She drank some herself enjoying the sensation of cool liquid descending down her parched throat, moisturizing it.

"Here, let me help you," Philip said, dipping his own cupped hands once again in the river.

He steadily brought them up to Daine's face hinting for her to take a drink. She smiled brilliantly at him first and leaned down to receive the offered liquid. Before she knew it, she got a face full of water going up her nose and into her blue-gray eyes. She sputtered at first and let out an outraged squeal.

"Philip, you are going to pay for that! You fiend!" she screamed lunging towards him. 

However, the young woman was too sluggish and Philip darted swiftly out of her reach, laughing with childish enthusiasm. Daine giggled herself feeling carefree and happy. They dodged trees and ran in circles enjoying the light wind and sunshine the day had to offer. When they got tired of the spontaneous rampage, they sunk down to the ground, out of breath and tired.

"Philip," Daine spoke drained. "You are "

He laughed and pulled her into his arms and together they stared up at the jade leaves, misshapen clouds, and bright sun. "I knew you couldn't catch me. I guess it's not your fault you have short legs though."

She playfully slapped him on the arm. "Thanks mister. Some compliment."

"You are entirely welcome my animal talking companion. I do in fact prefer short women you know."

Daine reached over to hit him again when he caught her wrist and brought her hand slowly to his lips, kissing them softly. He slowly moved his hand up to cup her chin in his hands.

The sound of someone clearing their throat behind them made the couple jump apart slightly embarrassed at being discovered. They looked curiously at the stranger that stood behind them. He looked to be a strong man with auburn hair and surprisingly green eyes.

"I...um...we..." Daine stammered unsure of what to say.

"I'm sorry to have startled you," he spoke almost amused, "I am currently on guard duty and happened to hear commotion coming from this direction."

Daine blushed as Philip smiled sheepishly. "We were just...taking a break." Philip muttered.

"As I could tell," the stranger replied, now smiling widely. "My name's Remulus of Vandamere."

"I'm Philip and this is Daine," he spoke, gesturing towards his companion.

"Ah, the new recruits," Remulus responded his eyes lit with curiosity. "I certainly wasn't expecting to meet you in this sort of way."

Daine laughed nervously, still slightly embarrassed at being caught.

In an instant, the kind, amused expression on Remulus' face vanished. Instead, etched in its place was fear; fear and fury. "Get down," he whispered through clenched teeth, shoving the two of them to the ground behind the shelter of a bush.

"Remulus?" questioned Daine.

"Shh, one is in our midst."

With wide eyes, Daine and Philip watched as a dark figure on the opposite end of the river emerged from the woods, heading towards the raging water. The evil emitting from its hidden form was shocking. It filled their bodies with wild thoughts and unquenchable fear. It reeked of death and decay. A pure black cloak shielded its body. They watched, wide eyed, as the creature sunk down beside the water and placed its death-like hand above the river causing it to hiss and steam sharply. It lifted its cloaked head and seemed to look straight at them, piercing their minds, paralyzing them. Philip's eyes rolled to the back of his head as he slumped over in a dead faint. Daine reached for him alarmed, cradling his head in her hands. When she looked fearfully back up again, the creature was gone.

"He is marked," whispered the man beside her.

Philip began to stir again, his eyes fluttering open. He looked half-crazed as he searched around. Seeing the creature was gone, he slumped forward in obvious relief.

"What in the name of Mithros was that?" he whispered in disbelief.

Remulus of Vandamere stared straight ahead where the creature once stood, not taking his eyes off the poisoned spot. "They are the most feared creatures," he whispered intensely, "If you are lost to them, you are lost forever. They thirst for the lives of humans. They suck the very souls into the depths of them, trapping them for all of time. It is ones living nightmare, greatest fear. After the soul is sucked in, the body of their victim is then taken over, free to use as will. These creatures wander the depths of the Earth looking for humans to prey upon. They will never end their brutal search, it is their way of survival and pleasure. Many have been lost to them."

He paused, a troubled look crossing his face before continuing.

"They...They are the Schatten Wanderers."

A/N: Alrighty!! Please be kind and please rewind! Or you could just comment instead! : P

Till Next Time,

SportzGurl

PS: I wrote this at 2 in the morning so its not that good. Sorry about that!!


	21. Ch 21

Hey yall!! I didn't even notice that the Schatten Wanderers were like Dementors. I guess its like Little Ra Ra said in her review, "The Schatten Wanderers are kinda like dementors in looks but they aren't really like them in powers." I dunno, I'll let yall decide I guess! Anywho, here's chapter 21! It's pretty long, so enjoy!

Ch. 21

It observed as the petite, russet haired woman strolled alongside the sturdy, emerald-eyed young man, whose blood it knew all too well. It was, in fact, the same as that which runs through its own veins. The pattern of their feet created a symphony of leaves crackling beneath them. Some escaped the fate, however, by being carried off into the distance by the same powerful wind current that caused the young woman's curls to fly in wild disarray. Hungry young birds sung for the slightest morsel of food, begging to be released from the torment their hunger had caused them. Squirrels scurried up trees and frenzied ants embarked on their final attempts to find food before the cold front came. The man and woman's voices echoed through the forest of trees causing it to pause and listen for it could not be seen.

Remulus had sent Philip to the infirmary to tend to his slight head wound, which was causing him a pounding headache. The girl trailed behind him like a lost puppy, worried about what she had just heard of the Schatten Wanderers. He couldn't help but feel compassion towards her; having never heard of them and then seeing one without a mere warning. It must have caused her a bit of a shock. It was not something the northerners, especially the uneducated ones, are normally taught about. The Schatten Wanderers never traveled that far north anyways. He shook his head, not agreeing with this. They should educate them about the Schattens for their own sake and protection.

"You...you said many were lost to them. Did you know of someone...?" she trailed off, not wanted to complete what she was saying, for fear of offending him.

"Yes. Yes I did. A dear friend of mine."

Her head bowed slightly, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked. It's your business. I-"

"It's all right Daine. No need to worry about it. You probably would have heard about it from the others sooner or later."

There was an awkward silence, neither knowing what to say next. Remulus took a few more steps before he noticed something half hidden under the , decaying leaves. He stopped walking and reached down to pick up the bronze eagle feather that camouflaged quite nicely with the vegetation.

"It's a lucky feather," he murmured to himself, eyeing it with curiosity. "It's not very often you find a feather this color, especially around this part of the country. Here, you keep it." He outstretched his opened palm gesturing for the wild mage to take it.

Daine hesitated, slightly unsure. "Are you certain? You should keep it, you found it."

"Daine, I'm giving it to you. I already have my own collection back in my tent. I do travel a lot you know. I find one at least once every few months. Not usually around here though, so it must be quite lucky, I want you to have it."

She hesitantly reached over and displaced it from his hand to hers, gripping it carefully.

'Besides you're going to need all the luck you can get,' Remulus added to himself, recalling the events that had led Philip to going to the infirmary.

"Thank you," she murmured admiring the intricate details of the propitious feather.

"Tell me about yourself Daine," Remulus said softly, continuing to walk again.

"There really isn't much to tell," she chuckled before growing serious again. "My ma had me when she was quite young. I...I don't know who my pa is. Events led up to my ma being murd...murdered," she whispered, her voice breaking. She cleared it before continuing, "So basically I was young; I had nothing except for the clothes on my back, no job, no family or friends, nothing. I wandered the streets for a week or two stealing the necessities I needed, when one glorious day Philip found me. I got recruited to a band of thieves. I later met Numair who told me of my wild magic and offered to teach me about it. I wanted my friends to come with me, but they refused...all of them except for Philip. I owe him my life really. An-and now I'm here." She laughed, "That of course is the shortened version of my life story."

"Quite a life you had there," he replied thoughtfully.

"It's your turn now. You've got me interested."

"Well...I was born into a nice family. We were poor, but we lived well enough. I was happy. I had an older brother and a younger sister. I used to help my pa plant vegetables and sow the field. We'd come home at night and he'd put my brother on one knee and me on the other and tell us all sorts of stories. One day my brother and I went hunting. It was a cold day..." his eyes turned distant. "We were on our way home and we sensed something wasn't right. Our suspicions were confirmed when we saw smoke coming from the direction of our cottage. My ma, pa, and dear little sister were murdered, a cold blood murder. Burned to in our very own home. Unlike you, I at least had my brother. We held our own pretty good. Went to the castle eventually and became knights. Fought in quite a few battles. And...Now I'm here."

Daine nodded slowly. "And what became of your brother?"

He paused for a moment. "Here, let me show you." He led her to a ravine a few feet away and knelt beside a slab of stone. It was sloppily engraved, as if he had done it himself.

She read it, tears filling her eyes. "William of Vandamere, beloved son and brother, may the Gods watch over his soul."

She watched as Remulus reached up and ran his hand through his short hair. "This war has been costly, but it must be fought."

She nodded, "This is his grave site?"

"More like his memorial. There is no body."

Her eyes grew wide. "He, he was the one? The Schatten Wanderers?"

Remulus nodded regretfully. "His spirit is lost forever, but his body still roams this land possessed by something far worse than the Black God."

"I'm sorry Remulus," Daine whispered, her voice full of sorrow.

"Daine, please, I want you to know...the reason I told you all of this...I don't want your pity. I'm warning you. The mark Daine, it won't go away. Once you are marked it is almost as good as done."

"I...I don't understand Remulus," Daine replied, starting to feel nervous.

"He was marked Daine."

"Who...?" A dawn of realization suddenly flashed across Daine's eyes. "NO! Remulus you are mistaken!"

"Daine, being marked-It...it means you are their next victim. They will not rest until it is completed"

x A/N: Okay, I was gonna stop it there, but I decided not to! I'm so nice!! Yall better comment!! :) x

Tears streamed down Daine's cheeks as she swayed back and forth. She couldn't seem to find her balance anymore. "Is-Is there anyway to prevent it?" Daine hiccupped.

"There is one way. Send him back to the capital Daine. They cannot go that far north. Otherwise, he risks too much being here."

She nodded, her face bent down allowing the tears to cascade to the ground.

"Are you ready to go back to camp?" he asked softly.

She nodded again silently.

"You know Daine. If my sister were still alive, she'd be about your age now." he said thoughtfully with a slight tone of regret.

"Really?" she whispered looking up at Remulus's face.

"I never had a chance to be there for her...I want you to know that if you ever need someone, I'm willing to help."

"Thank you Remulus," she managed to get out through the tears. "I have to get to Philip and warn him. Do you mind if I run ahead?"

"Go ahead, just watch out for danger."

She nodded once again and began to sprint towards the camp. She steadily approached it and when she got within hearing distance, something caught her attention.

"Numair! There you are! I was so worried about you! I heard you came to the front and I just wouldn't believe them when they told me you were unhurt. I had to see for myself!" a honey-coated voice spoke loudly, almost in a whiny quality.

Daine curiously rounded the corner and saw a strikingly beautiful woman, dressed in a sheer blue, clingy dress, nearly hanging off of Numair's arm. She grimaced in disgust as she witnessed the woman giving Numair a flirtatious kiss on the cheek and giggle relentlessly.

The wild mage didn't want to ruin Numair's moment with this woman, whoever she may be and decided she was going to attempt to sneak past them unnoticed. Right then, Numair turned his face straight towards her, as if he sensed her, and recognition filled his eyes. She averted her face quickly so he wouldn't see her tear-stained cheeks and reddened eyes.

"Daine! I want you to meet someone. Th-"

"Someone _very_ special to him," the woman interrupted smugly, giving her a brittle-looking smile.

The wild mage gulped with anticipation.

"Daine, this is Varice Kingsford."

A/N: Whew! Another chapter done and ready! Hurray for me!! And hurray to you for reviewing!! I love your reviews! It's just a happy day today isn't it?? : P Anyways, hope yall enjoyed that. Send me a review (cause this chapter was extra long)! I wanna know what you think!

Till Next Time,

SportzGurl


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